Holden Commodore VF Series II used car review

What to look for when buying a second-hand Commodore

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Seems as though the motoring world may have been a touch premature with predictions that the very last of the locally made performance Holden Commodores – the Series 2 VF SS – was an instant collectible.

Right now, there’s a brand new one being offered as a prize in a TV promotion and there are even still a few in dealerships with strictly demonstrator kilometres on their odometers.

And all this despite production at Holden’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia winding up way back in October 2017.

So much for the predicted stampede into Holden showrooms by punters keen to secure themselves a slice of history.

But regardless of all that, the good news is that there are not only those still effectively brand-new VF Series 2 cars getting around, but plenty of well-maintained, privately owned ones as well.

And while the selling-like-hot-cakes thing might have been wrong, another statement at the time that has been proven to be spot on was the one proclaiming the second-gen VF Commodore to be the best Holden ever.

And of those Series 2 cars, there’s a particular model that still gets the juices flowing in the right company. And that’s the Commodore SS.

Not only does the last SS represent all that was great about locally engineered and built performance sedans, it’s also a great car in its own right and, at the time, could really give some of the pricier Euro establishment plenty of chew on.

There were actually three grades of SS Commodore in this run of cars, but they all had the undoubted benefit of Holden’s decision to drop the bigger, 6.2-litre V8 into the space that had previously been filled by the six-litre unit. Those 200cc mightn’t sound like a huge deal, but the bigger engine was even stronger and more flexible than the earlier version and, with 304kW up its sleeve, it could get going pretty smartly. Very smartly, actually.

The flip-side was that the VF Series 2 SS Commodore was the first Commodore to go backwards in fuel economy terms. The larger capacity plus Holden’s decision to give the exhaust some crackle and pop (via injecting a little unburned fuel into the exhaust for effect) meant that the Series 2 cars used about a litre more for every 100km travelled. Most potential owners couldn’t have cared less.

Option up to the SS-V and you got more kit, while ticking the box for the SS-V Redline got you a brilliant set of Brembo brakes.

But if you really wanted a collectible Commodore, there was even a step further than that you could take. Right at the end of production, Holden announced a Special Editions range of Commodore-based cars which were designed to offer the collector that elusive instant collectible.

Okay, so it didn’t quite work out that way and, again, you still see even these Special Editions cars around with just delivery kilometres showing, but they were tremendous cars. But you need to know just what you’re buying.

Unlike an HSV car, the Special Editions weren’t making any more horsepower than the standard SS, but trust us, it was still enough. Instead, they got a transmission and engine cooling package designed to make them capable of running hard and fast for long distances in high-ambient heat.

Within the Special Editions, there was the Motorsport Edition with the Magnetic Ride adaptive dampers that had previously only been seen on HSV cars, plus bigger, floating brake rotors and selectable drive modes that altered the steering weight, exhaust mode and throttle sensitivity.

Then there was the Director which, based as it was on the Calais V, was an automatic-only deal but, crucially, gained paddle-shifters for the six-speed auto.

There was even a Special Edition Ute; dubbed the Magnum and while it was similar to the Motorsport, it missed out on the Magnetic Ride dampers.

The reality is that the bulk of these Special Editions cars for sale right now are, indeed, dealer demonstrators as the privately bought examples aren’t old enough yet to be hitting the market in big numbers (although with just 1200 Motorsports made, 360 Directors and 240 Magnums, they’ll never flood the market).

But they are out there are they represent the best bet for a late-model Holden that is likely to become super collectible in the future. Which doesn’t mean you should buy one and never drive it, because that would be a waste of a fabulous car.

Most will, provided they’ve been serviced correctly, have some new-car warranty remaining, so they’re less of a gamble than many other performance cars. But there are still a few things to look out for.

Those are mainly concerned with the engine which has been known to be hard on hydraulic lifters, valve springs and rocker-shaft bearings. The smart money says that if you’re replacing one of those items, replace them all at the same time.

Holden’s build quality was much better by this time, too, and the interior is a huge improvement over previous models of Commodores.

There’s a lot of electronics on show, though, so make sure it all works properly.

But just to prove that even in its last gasp, Holden didn’t have all the quality bugs ironed out, the paint match between the metal and plastic parts of these cars can be pretty dreadful.

To make matters worse, the colour-match seemed the least convincing on that tremendous, lurid green dubbed Spitfire Green that was the hero colour on the Motorsport Edition.

Be wary of modified examples, too. Many of these cars were treated to aftermarket supercharger kits (not that they needed them) and, depending on who did they work, they can be great things or ticking time bombs.

Besides which, any chance the Special Editions have of becoming truly collectible (and the smart money says they will do so) relies on them being in stock standard form, so spending money to modify one seems like tearing up dollars two ways.

If you're looking to buy a second-hand Holden Commodore, check out the models we have for sale on Drive.com.au here

Likes:

Dislikes:

Thirsty if performance gets used.

Beware modified examples.

Will use its brake pads and tyres.

Poor colour match on some plastic parts.

Competitors:

Ford Falcon XR8 Sprint – Final incarnation of the XR8 got the FPV-spec supercharged version of the five-litre V8 for truly lurid performance. Driving position better, but still not for everybody. 4 stars

Chrysler 300 SRT8 – Like the Holden, no supercharger; just a dirty great V8 engine. Automatic only, but by now interior was much better than previous 300s. Tough-guy looks its signature. 3 stars

HSV Clubsport – More money but more performance from supercharged version of the same V8 as the Holden. Less lairy body kit than previous HSVs helped appeal to those with the dollars to act. 4 stars